CareerCatchers
CareerCatchers (careercatchers.org) provides personalized employment and job skills counseling to the county’s most vulnerable citizens: domestic violence victims, homeless, foreign-born, the disabled and the previously incarcerated. CareerCatchers’ response to COVID-19 resulted in expanded services and a 50% year-over-year increase in clients served. Typically, 78% of clients seen intensively find new/better jobs and 85% participate in training and receive post-job placement support.
Headquartered: Silver Spring
Serves: Metro region
What a donation buys:
• $100 provides resources to help clients cope with challenges brought on by COVID.
• $200 advances the client’s career journey by developing a customized employment plan.
• $1,500 helps a client achieve, retain and advance in their career.
Volunteer opportunities:
• Ongoing: Present at a weekly workshop; teach computer skills and tutor for ESOL, GED and other exams.
• Internships
• SSL
Career Experience Opportunities (CEO)
Career Experience Opportunities (CEO) – The Universities at Shady Grove (shadygrove.umd.edu/student-services/career-and-internship-center/career-experience-opportunities) provides low-income and underrepresented students with experiential learning and career exploration opportunities to build competencies and skills necessary for career success. Through CEO, employers can help shape student experiences and equip students to meet their specific industry requirements.
Headquartered: Rockville
Serves: Montgomery County
What a donation buys:
• $250 covers a job shadowing/career exploration day for five students.
• $1,000 covers a career skills training session for 20 students.
• $10,000 covers scholarships for 10 students.
Volunteer opportunities:
• One day: Host CEO students for a tour of your company.
• Ongoing: Sponsor an internship and/or mentor a student.
Cornerstone Montgomery
Cornerstone Montgomery (cornerstonemontgomery.org) serves 2,500 adults and transition-aged youths living with severe mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders in Montgomery County. Cornerstone Montgomery’s programs help people find and keep housing, train for new jobs and lead independent lives.
Headquartered: Rockville
Serves: Montgomery County
What a donation buys:
• $2,000 funds lunches for one month for 60 Foundations clients.
• $2,500 funds art supplies for 30 Studio In-Sight client artists.
• $5,000 provides a holiday gift for 200 residential program clients.
Volunteer opportunities:
• None at this time. (Due to COVID-19, Cornerstone Montgomery has temporarily paused its volunteer programs.)
Literacy Council of Montgomery County
Literacy Council of Montgomery County (lcmcmd.org) is an adult education and human services organization that provides basic literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring, ESL classes, pre-GED preparation, conversation classes, workforce development and job-skills training, and more. Annually, it serves more than 2,000 learners and relies on a robust volunteer corps to provide individualized mentorship for adults struggling to improve their employment prospects, educational opportunities and everyday lives.
Headquartered: Rockville
Serves: Montgomery County
What a donation buys:
• $250 covers the cost of four tablets for digital literacy.
• $1,000 provides books and materials for 15 adult learners.
• $10,000 pays the classroom rental fees for 12 10-week ESL class sessions.
Volunteer opportunities:
• Weekly: Tutor an adult learner for two hours weekly.
• Seasonal: Be a fundraiser for literacy with events such as Giving Tuesday.
• SSL
• Internships
Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL)
Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL) (mcael.org) is a coalition of more than 65 organizations that provide adult English classes for speakers of other languages (ESOL). These classes are critical to helping our immigrant neighbors learn English so that they can help their children in school, access medical care, and find jobs. MCAEL supports and trains over 1,000 instructors who teach over 15,000 adults annually.
Headquartered: Rockville
Serves: Montgomery County
What a donation buys:
• $250 covers translation of instructions for online learning.
• $500 covers two Chromebooks for English language learners.
• $1,000 covers two Community Learning Groups for new learners to get started with instruction.
Volunteer opportunities:
• One day: Help with a special event.
• Ongoing: Participate in training to tutor or teach a class.
• Internships
Per Scholas
Per Scholas (perscholas.org/nationalcapitalregion) advances economic equity through tech career training and connecting skilled talent to leading businesses. Per Scholas in the National Capital Region equips 260 individuals annually with industry recognized certifications and connects them to in-demand tech jobs, providing support along the way. Per Scholas also aims to supply technology tool kits to Per Scholas applicants who don’t have the technology they need to participate virtually.
Headquartered: Silver Spring
Serves: Metro region
What a donation buys:
• $250 pays for headphones and Wi-Fi access.
• $1,000 covers the cost of one technology tool kit, including laptop, webcam, headphones and Wi-Fi.
• $10,000 provides technology assistance and career access to 10 Per Scholas learners.
Volunteer opportunities:
• Ongoing: Speak to the class on industry-specific and/or career development topics virtually.
• One day: Edit resumes or participate in mock interviews virtually.
• Internships
Urban Alliance
Urban Alliance (theurbanalliance.org) advances economic opportunity for high school seniors from low-income communities of color by providing internships, job skills training, mentoring and lifelong post-program support. Since 2017, Urban Alliance has placed nearly 100 county youths in paid internships and reached hundreds of additional students through foundational workforce development training, offered in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools.
Headquartered: Washington, D.C.
Serves: Metro region
What a donation buys:
• $45 covers an intern’s wages for one day of work.
• $100 provides the incentive for one intern to complete Urban Alliance’s capstone event.
• $360 covers up to two weeks of an intern’s wages during the school year.
Volunteer opportunities:
• One day: Help students edit resumes and essays for college applications and scholarships; or facilitate or provide feedback on virtual mock interviews.
• Ongoing: Mentor a high school intern.
• SSL
• Internships
